


Never

by bunnysworld



Category: Merlin (TV) RPF
Genre: Drama, Heartbreak, M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-13
Updated: 2014-10-13
Packaged: 2018-02-21 00:28:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2448665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunnysworld/pseuds/bunnysworld
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Each of the boys is in love. Just not with each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry, not betaed.
> 
> And yes, I made myself sad writing this.

Rupert was almost asleep. It wasn’t his place, but he felt so at home here and could imagine just never leaving again. He didn’t even have his own place in London – or anywhere else for that matter – and whenever he was in London, he crashed on Colin’s couch. Some nights, they ended up in Colin’s bed, but usually because one of them needed a partner to learn lines or to go over a script or to discuss tactics how to go about an audition and Colin being too tired to send him to the other room to the couch. 

The very same couch Rupert’s gotten comfy on right now, some old black and white movie on TV. Colin was out on some project and if Rupert allowed himself the thought, it felt like waiting for a boyfriend to come back. One who’d said “Don’t wait up for me” but you did anyway because you wanted to see his smile when he found you still awake when he returned. And Colin’s smile was a sight to see, even though he wasn’t his boyfriend. 

Sighing, Rupert fiddled with the remote control to turn down the sound as commercials came on. He heard the key in the door and couldn’t help but smile himself. 

“Hey, how was your meeting?”

Colin came into the room and didn’t look at him. “Okay.” He took his leather jacket off and shook his head. Obviously it had started to rain outside. 

“Will you do the project?” Rupert scrambled up a little, but was too comfy to give up his position lying on the couch.

Shrugging, Colin toed his shoes off. “Don’t know. People are nice, though. Went for a drink later.”

Something was off with Colin, Rupert had noticed the second he’d come in. “Come here.” He could smell the alcohol on Colin’s breath the moment he came close and sat onto the edge of the couch. The lost look on Colin’s face broke his heart. “Here.” He reached out for him and pulled him close until Colin’s head was leaning against his shoulder.

The moment they touched, Colin’s hands came up and he was clinging to Rupert’s t-shirt. 

“Did you call him for his birthday?” They both knew what this was about. It was Bradley’s birthday and he wasn’t even on the same continent.

A nod against his shoulder confirmed it. 

“What’d he say?”

Gently stroking Colin’s back as the man started to sniffle, Rupert frowned. 

“Not much. Didn’t have time. Needed to go out with…friends.”

Rupert didn’t mind that Colin was climbing around on the couch until he was lying next to him, clinging to him, burying his face into his neck. He just minded the reason for it. “Well, he’s at the other end of this world for a new job. We should be happy that he finally found something.”

The words sounded false in his own ears. He liked Bradley, Bradley was a friend. Rupert wasn’t a violent man, he wasn’t even what they called fierce. But some days Bradley made him so angry that he wanted to punch his perfect teeth in. He wasn’t even sure why. The feelings Colin had towards Bradley weren’t his fault. Neither was the fact that Bradley didn’t return them the same way. Or that he himself had those feelings for Colin. 

Colin still sniffled into his neck and Rupert wrapped his arms around him. The world wasn’t perfect. He nuzzled into Colin’s hair. Things were as they were and there was nothing anyone could do about it. But on nights like these, it just felt so unfair to know that neither one of them would ever get what their hearts wanted.


End file.
